


Ascension

by LazuliQuetzal



Series: those nighttime escapades [6]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 20:34:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4536414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazuliQuetzal/pseuds/LazuliQuetzal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephanie Brown is about to embark on the biggest adventure of her life.</p>
<p>(Or, how Steph became Robin in the escapades!verse)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ascension

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place pre-Origin.

Deep breaths. Breathe in, breathe out. In, and out.

_I can do this,_  she thought, gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

A figure clothed in eggplant gazed back at her. Her face was invisible beneath the large hood; a black toolbelt was around her waist; her feet covered in a pair of her mother's old boots. She had to do this.

She had to stop her dad.

Stephanie climbed up onto her windowsill, careful not to make noise. She looked down at the street. The ground looked so far away…

She steeled herself. She needed to do this. Just one step.

She jumped.

Steph hit the ground with a jarring crash, kneeling clumsily on the ground. Luckily, she didn't land on her ankles.

_No turning back._

With renewed vigor, she made her way over to a fire escape a few buildings over and hit the roofs. Steph had been studying aerial maps of Gotham for a long time. She knew where she was going. She had to.

A figure in purple darted across the rooftops. Its actions were not as practiced as Batman's, or as graceful as the absent Robin's, but it made do. Determination was a powerful thing.

* * *

Weeks passed. Spoiler was improving, slowly but surely. With each crime her father committed, Stephanie was out there, ready to tear it down. She began to learn Gotham from another point of view: from the air. And the more she learned, the more she went out - the more she became addicted to crimefighting.

The thrill of running across Gotham in the middle of the night. Anonymous. Freedom to go where she pleased, adrenaline running through her veins. The feeling of her heart pounding in her chest, watching the results of her hard work - it was  _addicting._

It wasn't long before she branched out to other things. Now, it wasn't just stopping her dad. It was beating up muggers, helping other people. She began to spread out. Instead of staying within her neighborhood and mapping out routes to her father's crimes, she took the time to explore. She moved further and further from the familiar streets, ending up in parts of Gotham she hadn't seen before. Every morning she was dead tired, but every night she was out there.

No wonder why Batman and Robin were still risking their lives. Vigilantism was a thrill like no other.

But speaking of Batman…

* * *

On one of her runs, Steph found herself a little farther out than she intended to go. She gazed about the rooftops, desperately searching for a familiar landmark. It was one in the morning. She had to head home.

She squinted. That rooftop planter looked familiar…

An abrupt scream shook her out of her thoughts. Steph snapped her head up. Someone was in trouble!

She took a deep breath and sprinted towards the sound with all the speed she could muster. At the last second, she crouched, preparing to jump the gap between this roof and the next.

Before her feet could leave the roof, something hit her ankle. Caught by surprise, Steph lost her balance.

With a wild shriek, Steph plummeted to the ground.

THUMP.

Steph cried out as her butt hit the ground. She hissed in pain as she attempted to recover, her hand reaching out to lean on the wall for support.

A gloved hand reached out and wrapped itself around her wrist.

Panicked and surprised, Steph screamed and pulled back her arm, but the hand didn't let go. Barely breathing, Steph looked up - right into the eyes of the Batman himself.

"What are you doing?" Batman growled, his voice chilling Stephanie right to her bones.

Right now, Steph was caught somewhere between fear and anger. Her heart slammed itself against her ribcage, moving so quickly that she wasn't even sure she had a pulse.

She opened her mouth.

"The same thing you do, ass-hat! Let go of me!"

The grip on her wrist slackened, and Steph yanked her arm back, cradling it protectively in her grasp. She looked up.

Batman's mouth was slightly open. Steph's eyes widened and all the blood drained out of her face. She stumbled backwards and clapped her hands over her mouth.

"I - I meant, um, Mr. Batman. Sir," she squeaked, too terrified to even breathe.

Batman closed his mouth and squared his shoulders. Steph became aware that he was over a foot taller than her, and probably weighed twice as much.

She was  _so dead._

"You do what I do?" Batman asked, although it came out more like a demand than a question.

"Yeah," Steph said, regaining a small amount confidence. She wasn't a criminal. She had every right to be out here, fighting crime - just like him. "I'm stopping the bad guys!"

Batman's face remained expressionless. "Go home," he demanded. "I have this covered."

Steph made a face. "Oh, really?"

"You're too young to be out here," he said.

At this, Steph's anger overrode her fear. She rose to her full height - all five feet, exactly - and glared at Batman. "Excuse me?" she asked, her voice as hard as she could make it. "What about your little sidekick, huh? You let  _him_ fight crime, why can't I?"

That was the wrong thing to say.

Batman's jaw clenched, his whole body tense with anger. Eyes widening, Steph took a step back.

"It's dangerous," Batman gritted out. His voice sounded even colder, if that was possible. "You're not ready."

"Who says -  _mmph!_ "

In the space of a heartbeat, Steph was pinned against the wall, her arms twisted behind her back. A deep voice sounded at her ear.

" _Go. Home._ "

The sudden release made Steph stumble. She steadied herself and turned around.

Batman or not, no one but her mother was allowed to tell her what to do. "No."

Batman's hands twitched, as though he were going to punch her. "Go home, kid. You don't know anything about crime."

Steph sucked in a breath, her face burning from both embarrassment and anger. She didn't know anything about crime?  _She_  didn't know anything about crime? Her own dad was a freaking _criminal!_  She grew up in  _Gotham!_  Right now, she was terrified to the point of losing her common sense. Her butt was throbbing in pain. She'd stopped a mugging  _and_ a break in tonight. Batman didn't know  _anything_  about her.

Steph stepped forward, raised her hand, and slapped him. Right on the face.

Silence fell across the alley. Steph sucked in a breath. Blood rushed through her ears - the only thing she could hear was her frantic heartbeat and her panicked thoughts.

_Holy shittake mushrooms I think I just slapped the freaking Batman -_

Her muscles tensed as the Caped Crusader twitched his head. His hand drifted up to his reddening cheek, and he stared at her in disbelief.

If she was going to mess that up, might as well go the whole mile, she thought.

"Say that again, old man,  _I dare you!_ " Steph yelled.

Before she could blink, Batman was gripping her arms again. This time, the grip was tight enough that he could snap her arms like twigs.

"Go home before I do something I regret," he growled. Abruptly, he let go and stormed off, melting into the shadows until Steph was left alone with no idea where he went.

"Well, screw you!" she said aloud to the seemingly empty alley. She wouldn't stop. Batman couldn't tell her what to do.

She turned around and stormed out of the alley. Now that Steph was on the ground, she could recognized the street she was in. Heart pounding, she ran home, scaled the fire escape, and slipped through her unlocked window.

As soon as she was in, Steph closed the window, drew the curtains, and let herself sink down onto the floor. Considering the circumstances, the thirteen-year-old felt justified in letting out a soft, ' _holy fucking shit'_.

That just happened. That  _happened._  Stephanie, as Spoiler, ran into the freaking  _Batman_  and  _slapped him in the face._

She shoved her face into her pillow. She'd never been that terrified in her life. Never before had she been so scared.

It felt  _awesome._

* * *

Steph stayed home for the next few days, partly to catch up on sleep, but mostly because her butt still hurt from falling in front of Batman. But she was restless. In school, she focused less than usual. Her mind was constantly thinking of crimefighting and Batman. Her brain kept bouncing between disbelieving giddiness (I talked to  _Batman!_ ) and righteous fury (He's not the boss of me!)

Six days later, she couldn't take it anymore. Her butt was still sore and painful, but her wounded pride refused to let her wait. Batman couldn't keep her from doing good. She needed to show him.

That night, she slipped out again, donning her eggplant colored hoodie and the rest of her Spoiler costume. Almost immediately, she ran into a mugging. Heart pumping and a manic grin on her face, Steph ended it almost immediately by jumping down and landing her boot on the criminal's face.

After watching the victim run out of the alley, a deep voice startled Steph out of her triumph.

"I told you to stay home," Batman growled.

Steph whipped her head around. "And I told you you're not my boss!"

" _Stephanie Brown._ "

At that, she froze.

"You need to stop this."

"How do you know my name?" She asked, her voice high pitched and more than a little shaky.

Batman didn't answer.

Of course he knows her name. He's the damn  _Batman._

"I'm not staying home," Steph said in a low voice. "I'm helping people. I have to!"

With that, she sprinted away, leaving Batman to sigh and clench his jaw.

* * *

"Stephanie,  _stop this._ "

"It's  _Spoiler,_  you jerk!"

"You need to stop."

"You're  _not my boss!_ "

* * *

"Leave the crime fighting to the professionals."

"I bet the police guys said the same thing when  _you_  first started up!"

* * *

"You're not cut out for this, Stephanie. You're not good enough."

" _You're_  not good enough!"

* * *

Steph crouched on a rooftop, contemplating a direction to take. It'd been a few weeks, and she  _kinda_  had an idea of where Batman patrolled, but sometimes he popped up in the most random of places. As much as she enjoyed yelling at the man, he was terrifying. She would rather avoid him at all costs.

West, she decided. It was a Friday night; Batman should be in the southern areas of Gotham, if last Friday's run-in was anything to go by.

She prepared to run when a high-pitched scream cut through the night. Steph jerked her head towards the sound. Her heart rate picked up, and her fists twitched in anticipation.

She changed direction, heading towards the scream. Once she knew she was in its general area, she started searching the alleys and streets, but came up with nothing. Was she too late? Did someone already get hurt?

When she concluded that whatever happened was over, she studied the area she was in. It was the industrial area of Gotham, filled with warehouses and empty lots. She frowned. This was close to Batman's area…

She jumped when a large explosion rattled through the area.

A warehouse collapsed, and without a second thought, Stephanie was flying towards the rubble -  _is anyone there, are they okay, what just happened_  -

A loud, metallic clang sounded off to her right. She stumbled as she changed direction mid-jump, but she landed on the next roof. There was a large metal planter there, which might have been the source of the clang, and… and…

A bright grin lit up Steph's face. There, in the shadow of the planter, was a neat pile of  _batarangs._  She started shoving them into her toolbelt and kept one in her hand as she surveyed the scene before her.

She sucked in a breath as a single figure emerged from the ruins. The figure turned, giving her a good view of the man's face.

_Two-Face._

Stephanie may have been reckless, but even she knew better than to get tangled up with the big villains. Batman was a jerk, but he was good at his job - keeping these guys under control.

Speaking of Batman, where was he…?

The realization hit her like a brick. Horrified, Steph glanced from the weapon in her hand to the former warehouse.

_Oh my God…_

Two-Face was leaving the scene. Impulsively, Steph pulled back her arm and flung the batarang forward. Amazingly, the weapon flew straight and true - lobbing itself into Two-Face's thigh.

The man cried out, his hand flying towards his wound. Roughly, he pulled it out and glared at the batarang.

"Robin?!" He yelled, shocked.

Steph glanced at the rest of the batarangs. They were red, not black. These weren't Batman's… but where was  _Robin_? Now that she thought about it, she realized during all of her recent encounters with the Dark Knight, he was alone. The iconic sidekick was no where to be seen - in fact, he hadn't been in the news for a few months now…

_You're too young. It's dangerous. You're not ready._

The pieces flew together. For one reason or another, Robin wasn't here. Robin wasn't here, Batman was in trouble. But  _Steph_ had a toolbelt and a pile of batarangs. She looked back to Two-Face, who was twisting around and searching the rooftops for a figure in red and green.

Steph smirked. He wasn't looking for  _eggplant._

She jumped roofs, making sure her boots made loud clopping noises as she ran across the concrete. Two-Face turned around just as she ducked, hiding from view.

"Come out, you sneaky little bastard!" Two-Face growled. "I got Batman, you certainly don't stand a chance!"

Steph flung another batarang towards the man. It missed, but it did its job - causing a distraction for her to slip down into an alley and hide in the shadows. Her plan was stupid, but if she was fast enough...

When Two-Face's head was turned, Steph broke into a sprint. In one fluid motion, she picked up a stray brick and ran towards the villain. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and yet - it all was so clear. Steph could see every rock on the ground, every crack. She could feel the evening breeze drift across her hooded face. She could see the muscles twisting in Two-Face's neck as he turned around - only to be greeted with the sight of a brick moving at high velocity.

The brick connected. With a sickening  _crack,_  Two-Face dropped to the ground. Steph stood over his fallen body, breathing hard.

_I just knocked out_ Two-Face! she thought, staring at the brick in disbelief.  _Holy crap!_

And then -

_Batman!_

Spoiler rushed to the rubble and almost immediately spotted the tattered black cape. She ran over. Batman was pinned underneath some crossbeams.

"Batman! Are you alright?" she asked.

" _Stephanie?_ "

"It's  _Spoiler!_ " she reminded him, but she got to work - clearing away the rubble until she could help Batman get to his feet.

"Where's Two-Face?" he asked, his voice as gruff as alway, as if he didn't just almost die in a blown-up warehouse.

"I hit him with a brick," Steph said, gesturing in Two-Face's general direction. But when they got there, the villain was gone.

"Damn it," Steph cursed. Did she not hit him hard enough? A brick to the face was enough to give  _anyone_  a concussion.

"I can take it from here," Batman said. "Go home."

Steph blinked. Did she hear that right? Did Batman  _seriously_ just say that?

"What the hell?!" She shrieked, clenching her fists. "I just saved your life, you  _jerk_! And you're telling me to go  _home?!_ "

"I'm grateful for your assistance," Batman said, his voice sounding not grateful at all. "But you need to go home. Leave this to me."

Steph crossed her arms and glared. "I'm involved whether you like it or not," Steph hissed. "I just saved your life. You're the goddamn Batman, I shouldn't have had to do that in the first place! Clearly, this is a two-person job, because who else is gonna dig you out of the rubble when you get blown up?"

Batman scowled. "I don't need your help."

Steph gestured to his torn up costume. "Obviously,  _you do._  I'm going with or without your permission," Steph insisted. "Wouldn't it be better if you could keep an eye on me?"

Batman's jaw clenched. One second. Two seconds. Three.

"Fine," Batman growled. "But you do  _exactly_ as I say. No questions, no looking for loopholes -  _exactly as I say._   _Got it?_ "

"Clear as crystal, Boss-man," Steph said. "We taking down Two-Face or what?"

" _Don't_  fall behind."

With that, the Dark Knight took off. Without a second's hesitation, she followed.

Batman was never meant to fight alone.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd apologize for the shortness, but we've already heard this story, haven't we?
> 
> (Can you sense Tim? :D)
> 
> So school is starting up soon, and I'll be really busy with classes and sports. I won't have a lot of time to write. I might post something here or there, but don't expect too much. Wish me luck!


End file.
